The number of cancer cases in Ireland is up, according to new research.

But the good news is that more people are surviving the deadly disease.

Overall, the number of cancer cases continues to grow by 3% every year and the number of deaths by 1%.

But thanks to early detection and advanced treatment, long-term survival rates have rocketed dramatically over the past decade, with over 60% of patients surviving five years on from diagnosis.

That is according to the 2013 annual report of the National Cancer Registry Ireland.

The commonest cancers are breast cancer in women, which accounts for 32% of all cases, prostate cancer in men, 31% of all diagnoses and bowel and cancer of the colon which make up 13% of cases in Ireland.

Lung cancer accounts for 11% of diagnoses here.

And according to the report, lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in both sexes.

Despite the fact that it is almost completely avoidable, it’s still the cause of 20% of all cancer deaths in Ireland.

And frighteningly, the number of women who die from lung cancer here is the fourth highest in Europe - a staggering 50% above the EU average.

The number of patients having chemotherapy has also increased by 13% between 2000 and 2009.

The percentage of patients having surgery and radiotherapy has also increased.

But the good news is that there are more than 100,000 Irish cancer survivors.

Most cancer patients are over 65 years at diagnosis, according to the research.

Director of the National Cancer Registry, Dr Harry Comber said while survival rates are improving, there are still concerns about the mortality rate of lung cancer, particularly amongst women.

He revealed: “The prevalence of smoking among women in Ireland is very high.

“About a quarter of all women are current smokers, and although the prevalence of smoking in men has been going down, it hasn’t been going down in women to the same extent.

“So the risk of lung cancer in women in Ireland is still going up - not by a lot - but it’s still going up.”